Savannah Classical Academy (SCA) has become the first school in the district to partner with Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA of GA). This week, SCA Director, Barry Lollis, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The JA Colonial Group Discovery Center, slated to open on the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus. This new Discovery Center is designed to provide middle school students the opportunity to experience and explore their future possibilities through two innovative in-class and standards-correlated curriculums: JA BizTown and JA Finance Park.

“We are looking forward to bringing these experience-based programs to SCA’s middle school. This initiative is innovative and will help our students enhance their education and preparedness by building soft and practical skills for real life success” said SCA Director Barry Lollis. “The JA curriculum goes hand-in-hand with our philosophy that all students benefit from a rigorous, content-rich, educational program through defined academic and character development curricula, ensuring our students are prepared to become active, responsible members of their community.” 

SCA students will participate in JA BizTown which creates an unmatched experience where sixth-grade students can interact within a simulated economy, and JA Finance Park focused on transforming seventh or eighth graders into an adult with a career, family and financial scenario that represents one of their future possibilities. 

“JA of Georgia is incredibly excited to open the JA Colonial Group Discovery Center on the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus,” said Amy Ford, JA of Georgia Education Director. “The JA Colonial Group Discovery Center of Savannah will be the fifth center in the state and the first outside of the metro Atlanta/north Georgia area, and is a game-changer for the students in our region. This is a partnership between JA of GA, Georgia Southern University, local school districts, and our business partners to build a state-of-the-art immersive learning experience right here in Savannah.” 

Looking ahead, students will lead businesses, advance communities, and discover breakthroughs. JA BizTown creates an unmatched experience where SCA’s sixth grade students can interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of fueling a business. Here, students not only discover the intricacies of being a professional and member of the community, but also discover the abundance of opportunities available within their city.

At JA Finance Park students have the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures first-hand. Here, seventh and eighth grade students will participate in an immersive simulation that enables them to develop skills to successfully navigate today’s complex economic environment and discover how decisions today can impact tomorrow.

JA of GA is dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make educated academic and economic choices. The JA Discovery Centers are the embodiment of what this learning can look like.